Switch-operating mechanism.



PATBNTED APR. 21, 1903.

C. E. BADGER. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIONPILBD JAN. 17, 1903.

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I0 MODEL.

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unsns co moraumq. wummrron D c UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BADGER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

' SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 725,650, dated April21, 1903.

Application filed January 17,1903. Seria1N0.139,374- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BADGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a speci fication.i

My invention relates to devices for operating railway-switches, and moreparticularly the switches of street-railroads.

The object of my invention is to enable a switch to be operated .to openor close it from a car moving on the track. This end Iaccomplish-byprovidingsuitable devices connected with the tongue ormovable point for moving it to or out of contact with the maintrack railand for holding it in positions of adjustment and providing on the carsuitable devices under control of an operator for engaging the point tothrow it by the movement of the car to the positions desired.

My improvements are illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a plan view of a portion of a railroad track and switchand a portion of a car equipped with the devices of my improvement. Fig.2 is a side view of portions of the same enlarged. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view on the line a; x of Fig. 2, showing thepositions of the devices after the car has moved far enough to throw theswitchpoint. Fig. 4 is a top view of a portion of the devices of Fig. 1enlarged, showing them by broken lines and the boxcover by full linesand showing the switch set for connecting the siding. Fig. 5 is asimilar view of the same parts, the box-cover having been removed andshowing the point thrown out to cause the car to continue on the mainline. Fig. 6 is a view from-the under side of Fig. 5 with the box-coverin place. Fig. 7 shows portions of Fig. 5 viewed from the left. Figs. 8and 9 aredetail views of the devices for supporting the throwing-bar,and Fig 10 is a detail view of the spring devices used in the throwingmechanism.

In the drawings 1 and 2 respectively designate the main and siding railsof the ordinary grooved form used for street-railroads.

3 is the stationary point or tongue, and 4 the movable point, the throwof which is indicated byits positions shown in FigsA and 5.

The devices for. moving the point4 from the one position to the othermay be housed in a box 5 set between the rails and provided with a cover6, the exposed surface of which isshown as being roughened and nearly ona level with the top of. the rails. The point 4 is connected near itsfree end to an arm 7, that is pivoted to a lever within the box andextends outward through openings in the end ,of the box and in the railto the point to which it is attached by a pivot 8. The lever 9, to theend of which the arm is pivoted, extends nearly parallel with the trackand is fulcrumed at 10 to a standard 11, rising from the bottom of thebox; The other end of this 1ever is pivoted at 12 to a transverse bar13, and the bar is supported in fixed guides 14, in which it is looseenough to permit it to slide lengthwise and also have slight horizontaltransverse play. The reciprocations of this bar will obviously turn thelever 9 on its fulcrum, and thereby move the arm 7 outward or inward andcorrespondingly throw the switch-point.

To provide for the contingency of obstructions lodging in the path ofmovement of the switch-point, which might cause the breaking of someportion of the devices in operation, springs 15 maybe providedatopposite sides of the pivot 16, which is free to slidein the arm 7.The springs should be sufficiently stifl' to permitthe arm to performits proper function in throwing the switch-point and to yield only underthe extraordinary pressure arising from an unyielding obstruction to themovement of the point.

For the purpose of regulating the length of the bar 13, and thereby adjustingthe positions of the friction devices on its ends relative to thetracks, the bar may bespliced at the middle, as indicated at 17, and theparts secured together by bolts 18.

The bar 13 is given a slight oscillatory horizontal movement whenreciprocated by means of connecting-bars 19, that are pivoted to its endportions and to fixed standards 20 on the box-bottom. In theguide-pieces 14: are secured blocks of rubber 21 or suitable metalsprings in position to exert pressure against tact of the reciprocatingbar with these springs will serve to hold it in place, and thus preventthe accidental displacement of the switch-point, while the frictionalresistance will not be suflicient to prevent proper operation of themechanism when desired.

On the ends of the bar 13 are fastened friction-blocks 22, the endportions of the bar being upwardly bent to support the blocks insuitable recesses 23 in the under surface of the cover 6 of the box. Thebox-cover edges may lie close to the rails and have recesses 24 alongtheir lower margins extending parallel with the rails to provide apassage-way for the flanges of the shoes hereinafter described.

In the forward portion of the car 25 are arranged foot-levers 26, thatextend downward through the floor, and thence laterally outward towardthe rails. Their movements are guided by suitable guides 27, attached tothe car, and they are provided with springs 28 for retracting them whenreleased from footpressure. To the outer ends of these levers areattached by suitable pivoted connections 29 friction-shoes 30, arrangedto frictionally engage the blocks 22 on the bar 13. The connections 29are preferably made near or in rear of the middle of the shoes, and tothe forward portions of the shoes are attached by suitable pivotalconnections 31 the ends of rods or bars 32, that have their upper endspivoted, as at 33, to the car-frame. By this arrangement the shoes whenlowered are made to move in arcs, and thereby present their noses ininclined position to the rails, as indicated in Fig. 2, before theirsoles are lowered to contact with the rail-surfaces. The shoes consistof a body portion 34, the sole, of which slides in the groove of therail, and an inwardly-extending flange 35, that is comparatively wide atthe rear and tapers to a' point or nose 36. This flange is substantiallyhorizontal when the sole is on the rail and its under surface isslightly above the top of the inner flange of the rail and in the planeof the recess 24 in the cover 6, and hence in position to engage theouter inclined face of the block 22 as the car advances. The frictionalcontact of the tapering shoeflange with the correspondingly taperingedge of the block as the former is moved past the latter by the advanceof the car serves to slide the engaged block inward, and thereby thrustthe bar 13 to move the switch-point 4 in opposite direction by theoperation of the lever 9 and arm 7.

In use if the point is in position to connect the siding with the maintrack, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and it is desired to run the caron themain track the operator as he approaches the switch and without stoppingthe movement of the car presses down the footlever at the side of thecar nearest the switch. This will serve to lower the shoe to the track,as indicated in Fig. 2, and as it is advanced it-will contact with theadjacent block 22 and move it inward to throw the switch-point, andthereby close the branch and reopen the main line, as indicated in Fig.5. Such movement of the mechanism will obviously bring the other block22 to close proximity to the opposite rail, and if then it is desired torun a car from the main line onto the siding the operator as heapproaches the switch presses down the foot-lever at the side of the caropposite the siding and the shoe will engage the block at that side andoperate the mechanism to return the point to the position shown in Figs.1 and 4..

As the mode of operation would not be changed by a variation of themechanical construction of the devices, I do not wish to limit myself tothe specific devices shown and described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch -operating mechanism, in combination, a switch-point, athrowing-bar connected therewith for operating it, a pair ofconnecting-bars pivoted to the throwingbar and to fixed supports forcausing the throwing-bar to oscillate when reciprocated, springs againstwhich opposite portions of the bar alternately bear to restrain itsreciprocatory movement, and devices provided on the bar and on a car forcausing the movement of the car to reciprocate the bar, substantially asset forth.

2. In a switch -operating mechanism, in combination, a switch-point, athrowing-bar connected therewith for operating it, means connected tothe throwing-bar for causing it to oscillate when reciprocated, springsagainst which opposite portions of the bar alternately bear to restrainits reciprocatory movement, a lever connected with the bar, an armpivotally connected to the switch-point, a springpressed pivotconnecting the arm to the lever and adapted to yield under unusualpressure, and friction devices provided on the ends of the bar and onthe car for causing the bar to reciprocate to throw the switch-point,substantially as set forth.

3. In a switch -operating mechanism, in combination, a switch-point,'athrowing-bar connected therewith for operating it, means connected tothe throwing-bar for causing it to oscillate when reciprocated, springsagainst which opposite portions of the bar alternately bear to restrainits reciprocatory movement, friction-shoes carried at opposite sides ofa car, and devices for separately lowering the shoes to position toengage the appropriate block for throwing the switch-point in thedirection desired, substantially as set forth; 4. In a switch -operatingmechanism, in combination, a switch-point, a throwing-bar IIO connectedtherewith for operating it, means i connected to the throwing-bar forcausing it to oscillate when reciprocated, springs against whichopposite portions of the bar alternately bear to restrain itsreciprocatory movement, and devices provided on the bar and on a car forcausing the movement of the car to reciprocate the bar, substantially asset forth.

5. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination with theswitch-point, of a throwing-bar for operating it, lever devicesconnecting the bar with the point, friction-blocks on the ends of thebar, friction-shoes pro- January, 1903.

' CHARLES E. BADGER.

Witnesses:

H. A. BOWMAN, P. H. GUNOKEL.

